Thermoforming machines for processing thermoplastic films comprise a plurality of work stations through which the thermoplastic film is passed for processing in such a way that blister packages filled with product are produced at the downstream end of the work process. To this end, the thermoplastic film is heated to the deformation temperature in a heating station, for example, to enable the thermoplastic film to be subsequently shaped in a forming station, typically by forming in the film or foil an array of pockets. This forming station is generally followed by a filling station, in which the products are filled into the pockets in the thermoplastic film. It is also necessary to permanently and tightly seal cups filled in this manner in a sealing station, by laminating an upper cover film to the lower film over its pockets. A downstream punching station cuts individual blister packages out of laminated and filled films.
As described in German patent documents 2,718,126 of Landsteiner and 195 04 513 of Emmert, it is important that in most of the work stations tools are used which as formatting parts must be adapted to the format of the particular blister packages to be produced. In particular in a forming station, the quality of the forming process greatly depends on the correct positioning of the forming tools in order to subsequently centrally place the products in the cups and then seal these cups in the sealing station.